Haroon Meer, a South African hacker and founder of Thinkst Applied Research, has made a significant impact on network intrusion detection with his creation of Canary, a groundbreaking honeypot tool. Officially launched on May 31, 2015, Canary emerged after a year of intensive development.
Canary was designed to address a critical issue in cybersecurity: delayed breach detection. “It’s insane that organizations spending millions on cybersecurity often take months or even years to realize they’ve been breached,” Meer remarked at the launch. Canary aimed to change this by offering an effective and user-friendly solution.
The key to Canary’s success is its open-source nature, which allows users to build their own devices. For businesses and enterprises, Thinkst offers a subscription service. This package includes five Canary devices, a dedicated console, a Canarytokens server, and full support and maintenance, all for $7,500 annually.
Canary stands out for its ease of deployment. It can be set up in just five minutes, even within complex network environments. Coupled with its competitive pricing, Canary quickly became popular in the cybersecurity field. By May 2024, it had achieved $19 million in annual recurring revenue, all without venture capital. This success highlights Thinkst’s commitment to customer satisfaction and innovative design.
Haroon Meer’s journey into cybersecurity began at the University of Natal, where he worked with Unix systems and firewalls. His expertise grew during his time at SensePost, a leading South African cybersecurity firm, where he was Chief Technology Officer. Meer founded Thinkst in 2010, driven by his deep understanding of cybersecurity challenges and a vision for innovative solutions.
Meer’s success with Canary demonstrates how a deep knowledge of cybersecurity, paired with creative thinking, can lead to impactful solutions that not only address existing issues but also set new industry standards.